The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-01-13


It should be the duty OF the legislature to
take some &C ion looking to replacing this
amount.
The permanent school fund Is princi-
pally derived from the sale Of school
lande granted 20 the state by congress,
| viz: the sixteenth and thirtY-sixth Sec
tion In every congressional township, and
from the Owe per centuW on all sales OF
public lands within the state. There are
2,2E8 congressional townships in the
state, and two sections Ia each township
would make an aggregate OF 2,s0S $40
| acres Of land. The state also received
from congress on its admission
i've hundred thousand acres of land,
| but this amount was, many years
and given to aid in building railroads.
| The sale Of the school lands, however,
should have yielded permanent school
fund Of fifteen or twenty million dollars,
| and would have done this IL the land had
been properly guarded and sold. But the
| legislature provided, for its sale, the most
absurd and improvident system that
could possibly have been devised, and
under this reckless and pernicious legis-
lation the permanent school fund has
already been deprived Of more than one
half of the benz fits it should have real
lied.
called the attention Of the legislature
70 this subject two years ago, "a did each
Of my predecessors for eight years pre-
the abuses OF the system. sgain invoke
your consideration of this matter, and
earnestly trust that some action will be
/ taken to protect what remains of our
school domain from despoliation.
How many acres Of school land have
been sold, what lands remain unsold, how
much money remains unpaid on lands
4 I'D wvha mt ct
interest 10 due on land sold on time-all
this information, which, it seems to me,
should be Of RECORD in some state de-
| partment. and accessible at any time, /
have been unable to obtain. Neither the
state auditor nor the superintendent of
instruction can furnish any of these facts.
| Surely, the state oughs TO have a record
Of the unpaid principal OF school lands
| sold, and of the 1snds yet unsold. The
| determination OF this question involves,
probably, four or five million dollars, yet
it has been treated, by every legislature
that has assembled for ten years past, as
| Ii it was matter OF no interest to the
state or its people. There are no data, in
any state office, SO far as can learn, on
which to base even an approximate esti-
mate of the future receipts of this large
and important fund.
The school fund commissioners are
meeting with increasing d heulties, year
after year, in keeping this fund invested.
The law governing such investments
needs attention, and the legislature
should devise some plan by means of
which the money coming into the school
fund can be promptly invested in safe
Understanding securities.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
The biennial report of the board OF
trustees of state charitable Institutions,
with its accompanying reports of super
intendents and other officers, furnishes
| detailed Information concerning the con-
ditioD, expense and requirements of the
asylums for the insane at Topeka and
| Osaw@tOmie, the state reform school at
Topeka, the institution for the education
| OF the deaf and dumb at Olathe, and that
| for the education Of the blind at Wyau-
dotts, the asylum for idiotic and imbecile
youth, now at Lawrence. but soon to be
removed to Winfield, and the new SOL
diers' orphans home at Atchison.
| These numerous charitable, education
al and refOrmatory institutions entail
upon the state heavy burdens, which in
/ crease as our population increases. New
buildings and additions. costing 1858 300,
were erected during the last TWO fiscal
years. yet all the institutions are crowd
| ed to their utmost capacity, and the
trustees present facts and figures show
| ing 9 demand for additional accOmmo-
dAtions. lido not see how such expen-
ditures can be avoided or largely de-
creased. Burdensome as they are, they
are the natural and inevitable results of
the rapid growth Of the state, and gen
crous and Intelligent people will approve
gil that are shown to be necessary for the
proper maintenance or care OF the unfor-
| tunRte classes, as alike just AMI benefcent.
ask. In behalf os the reports and rec
concentrations Of the trustees and officers
Of these charities, 3 careful and intelli-
gent consideration, and such appropria-
tons as the necessities Of the institutions
require.
AANAaEMRNT OF CHARITABLE INsTITU-
i TONS.
again call the attention OF the ligisla-
ture to the defects Of the system provided
by law for the management of these in
stitutions. In my judgment 1t does moi
anord such supervision as the welfare OF
these great charities requires. OF the
appropriations annually made by the
legislature, about two ffths are expend-
ed by this one board OF trustees. The
institutions in its charge are widely
diverse In character, including educa-
tionals eleemoeynary and refOrmatOry
departments. They are slso remote
from each other, and the trus-
tees cannot visit them mort
The board, too, is necessarily COM
/ posed Of men whose time is largely en-.
crossed in their own personal affairs. and
the inspections made by them are, there
fore hasty and superficial. Il ought to
be apparent, when these facts are con
gidered, that the present system Of sup.
erVlsion and management is conspicu-
ouely inadequate, IL not inherently
. vicious. It is, in fact, neither practical
J comprehensive nor economical, AnC
, should give place TO some system tina
, will provide for more constant, watch
} fultand intelligent visitation, Oversight
. and inspection.
STATE BOARDS.
: It may be said, in this connection, tina
, our entire system OF supervision for stat
= institutions embodies features of extrav
i aganoe and ineaaciency. and ought to b.
9 remOdeled. The business of the stat
! has OutgroWn the old methods, and de
. mAnde others more comprehensive ant
economical. The board Of trustee
q OF state charitable Institutions shOult
] be relieved Of the supervisor
! of the state reform school. Al
= the penal and reformatory institutions
including thu. penitentiary, the industris
8 reformstory, and the reform school
d should be under the supervision Of on
= board, composed of not more than f1V
members. One member Of each of thes
two boards its chairman or its secretary
e should devote his entire time TO such du
= ties OF visitation, auditing accounts, in
L speeding supplies and property, etc., q
d might be devolved upon him by law, an
g the mileage system should be abolished
]. The saving effected by the ehangs thu
4 recommended would more than proYid
|. foT the salaries OF the officers thus -reRu
l. lArly and constantly employed, and ID
a state would, at the same time, secuI
l. services essential to the proper manage
le ment of its eleemosynAry and penal In
n situations.
Il TIE MILEAGE SYSTEM.
{, The payment of members OF sta
Is boards or other officers under the mile
lie age system Il exravagnnt and vie.ou
d, and should be entirely abolished. It hi
/; nothing to recommend iE. It il unju
l. alike 20 the public and to the officers vi
u, are thus paid. subjecting the state to III
Of necessary expense, and its servants
d, unmarited suspicion and criticism.
l. II Is unjust also. to those sections
Id the state remote from its public institI